All articles tagged with #herculaneum papyri
Three students won the Vesuvius Challenge and a $700,000 prize for using AI to translate previously unreadable text from the Herculaneum papyri, buried during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. The passages they uncovered discuss "how to enjoy life's pleasures." The competition aims to decode the ancient scrolls, and the founders hope to eventually read the entirety of all 800 scrolls using AI and machine learning.
Researchers win $700,000 prize for using AI to read a 2,000-year-old scroll scorched in Mount Vesuvius eruption, part of the Herculaneum papyri. The scrolls, carbonized during the 79 CE volcanic eruption, have been extensively damaged, but high-resolution CT scans and AI helped distinguish ink from papyrus and decipher faint Greek lettering. The recovered texts could rewrite ancient history, with the scrolls possibly authored by Epicurean philosopher Philodemus. The next phase of the competition aims to unlock 85 percent of the scroll, potentially revolutionizing Herculaneum papyrology and Greek philosophy.